There Is No Role for Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Chronic Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy: A Comparative...

Background: Chronic insertional Achilles tendinopathy (CIAT) is a type of tendinopathy resistant to conventional conservative treatments. The efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) remains controversial. This study aims to evaluate the effects of ESWT on pain management and functional improvement in CIAT patients and compare it with physical and medical treatments Methods: In this retrospective study, 372 patients diagnosed with CIAT between 2019 and 2023 were evaluated. The patients were divided into two groups: those who received only physical/medical therapy (Group 1) and those who underwent a combination of ESWT and physical/medical therapy (Group 2). Clinical outcomes were assessed using the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores. The severity of the disease was determined through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Group comparisons were conducted using the independent samples t-test and Fisher's exact test, while changes over time were assessed with repeated measures ANOVA. Correlation analyses were evaluated using Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients. Results: Significant improvement in AOFAS and VAS scores was observed in both groups by the third month (p < 0.01). However, at 6 and 12 months, ESWT did not demonstrate superiority over physical/medical treatment. Correlation analysis showed a positive relationship between baseline AOFAS scores and functional improvement, while higher initial VAS scores correlated with greater post-treatment pain reduction. Cardiovascular risk factors negatively impacted both functional recovery and pain reduction (p < 0.05). Although patient satisfaction was higher in the ESWT group, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions: ESWT may provide short-term pain relief and functional improvement in CIAT but does not offer a long-term advantage over physical/medical treatment. The placebo effect may contribute to early positive outcomes. These findings do not support ESWT as a routine treatment for CIAT.